Feed drum control mechanism for automatic wire handling devices



May 10, 1966 A. NETTA ETAL 3,250,870

FEED DRUM CONTROL MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC WIRE HANDLING DEVICES Filed Feb. 3, 1964 United States Patent O 3,250,870 FEED DRUM CONTROL MECHANISM FOR AUTO- MATIC WIRE HANDLING DEVICES Louis A. Netta, North Brunswick, and John M. Cole, Highland Park, NJ., assignors to The Thomas & Betts Company, Incorporated, Elizabeth, NJ., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Feb. 3, 1964, Ser. No. 342,150 7 Claims. (Cl. 200-61.41)

This invention relates t-o i-mprovements in automatic wirehandling devices and more particularly to means for automatically stopping the feed drum of a wirehandling device when'awire is not properly positioned on the feed drum or when some other unforeseen diculty arises in the feeding or termination cycle.

In they automatic wirehandling device described in co-pending application Serial No. 287,881, a bunch of wires is stackedin .a hopper at the bottom of which is placed a wire segregating wheel. A slotted feed drum is fed wires by the segregating wheel and carries the wires around to a terminal attaching station. Wires are positionedinthe slotted feed drum by means of a triangular shaped shroud which wipes a wire -into the desired length of the slot as the feed drum is rotated. The segregating Wheel is in frictional engagement with the feed drum and is rotated thereby. The segregating wheel forms a channel with the lower portion of the side Wall of the -hopper and causes individual wires to be moved past the exit of the channel into the slots on the rotating drum. It has been found that when a wire is not properly positioned in a slot during the cycling of the'feed drum, permanent damage may be caused to the automatic wirehandling Idevice before it can be stopped.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide for means for, automatically stopping the feed drum of an automatic wirehandling device when a twisted wire does not get positioned onto the drum properly, thereby preventing any damage that may have occurred to the device by the twisted wire. v

It is a further object of this invention to provide for means for automatically stopping the feed drum of an automatic w-irehandling device when the segregating wheel of the device is lifted away from frictional contact withthe drum.

Other and further objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description and drawings wherein:

FIG. l is a partially sectional elevational view of a portion of the automatic wirehandling device embodying the improvement of the present invention, and

FIG. 2 is a partially sectional plan view taken along line 2*2 of FIG. 1.

More particularly referring to the drawings, there is shown a hopper 10 having a plurality of wires 12 stacked therein. At the bottom of hopper 10 is a slotted feed drum 14 provided with slots 16 adapted` to receive individual wires 12. A shroud 18 is bent around feed drum 14 and has a radius of curvature which is parallel to the curvature of the feed drum. Shroud 18 is positioned adjacent feed drum A14 in order to wipe individual wires 12 into the desired length of slot 16 on feed drum 14..

A segregating wheel 20 is pivotally mounted on the underside of side wall 22 of hopper 10 by means of clevis or bifurcated linkage 24. Wheel 20 is rotatably mounted on linkage 24 by means or shaft 26. Segregating wheel 20 is urged into frictional engagement with feed drum 14 by means of compressed spring 28 bearing against end 30 of linkage 24. Spring 28 is held 3,250,870 Patented May 10, 1966 ICC handling device by means of shaft 40 journalled on end.

Wall 42. Spring 44 is held under tension between linkage 38 and fastening 46 mounted on end wall 42. Spring 44 urges the arcuate surface 48 of arm portion 50 of linkage 38 into engagement with the peripheral surface of drum 14. Adjustable screw 52 threaded in bracket 54 mounted on end wall 42 is provided to allow adjustable positioning of linkage 38 with respect to a microswitch 56. Adjustable screw 52 also provides for adjustment of the tension of spring 44 and the positioning of linkage 38 with respect to drum 14. Arm portion 50` of linkage 38 has a slot S8 at the end thereof such that arm portion 50 may be positioned adjacent wheel 20 and within clevis 24, shaft 26 passing through slot'58.

In operation, segregating wheel 20 is driven by feed drum 14 and segregates individual wires 12 from the bunch of Wires 12 stacked in hopper 10. Wires 12 are fed into slots 16 on feed drum 14. If wire 12 does not become properly positioned on the feed dnnm 14, it

- automatic handling device and stopping the rotation of feed drum 14. This prevents an individual wire 12 from reaching shroud 18 and from becoming entangled between the feed drum 14 and the shroud 18 and causing permanent damage to the automatic handling device. In like manner, if segregating Wheel 20 is for some reason lifted out of engagement with feed drum 14, shaft 26 will bear against the upper surface of slot 58, causing arm portion 50 to move upwardly and activating microswitch 56, causing the automatic handling device to be shut olf.

Provisi-on of surface 48 on linkage 38 also allows shroud 18 to be positioned back further from segregating wheel 20, allowing the operator to place a wire into a slot without interference from the shroud. Furthermore, settling the apex of 'shroud 18 back from the segregating wheel allows a wire to be separated from the bundle of wires a lgreater distance before being acted upon by the shroud and therefore enables a wire to be positioned in a slot without any restrictions from the mass of wires.

Other mechanical equivalents will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and therefore this invention is not to be considered limited to the above description and drawing but rather by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a wire handling device for handling a plurality of wires, the combination comprising rotary feed drum means having slots formed thereon for carrying individual wires to a terminal attaching device, wire segregating means urged into engagement with said feed drum means, switch means for stopping the rotation of said drum means, arm means urged into engagement with said drum means and operably connected to said switch means and linkage means linking said segregatin-g means to said arm means whereby said switch means is activated to stop rotation of said drum means when said arm means is forced out of engagement with said drum means by a wire improperly positioned on said drum means or when said segregating means is forced out of engagement with said drum means.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said arm means is rotatably mounted on the end frame of said wire handling device and said arm means is spring biased into engagement with said drum means.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said switch means is a microswitch and said arm means is adapted to be adjustably positioned.

4. In an automatic wire handling device which includes hopper means for carrying a bundle of wires, segregating means positioned at the bottom of said hopper, a rotary feed drum means having slots formed therein for carrying individual Wires to a terminal attaching lmeans, the improvement which comprises bifurcated arm means rotatably mounted on a wall of said hopper, shaft means for rotatably mounting said segregating means between the prongs of said bifurcated portion of said arm means, means for biasing said segregating means mounted on said arm means into engagement with said drum means, switch means for stopping the rot-ation of said dru-m means and linkage means in engagement with said switch means and linked to said segregating means such that when said segregating means is caused to be forced out of engagement with said drum means, said linkage means actuates said switch means to cease the rotation of said feed drum means.

5. The improvement in wire handling devices of claim 4 wherein said linkage means comprises an arm rotatably mounted on the end frame of said wire handling device, one end of said arm being in engagement with said switch means and the other end of said arm having a slot through which said segregating wheel shaft passes such that movement of said segregating wheel and said shaft away fro-m the periphery of said drum causes said arm to `actuate said switch ythereby stopping rotation of said drum means.

6. The improvement in wire handlling devices of claim 5 wherein said arm has an arcuate surface spring biased into engagement with the periphery of said drum.

7. The improvement in wire handling devices of claim 6 wherein said switch means is a microswitch and the n positioning of said arm with respect to said drum is adjustable.

References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,668,203 2/ 1954 Martin 200-61 2,867,794 1/1959 Dillon ZOO-61 v FOREIGN PATENTS 620,516 5/1961 Canada.

BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner.

B. DOBECK, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A WIDE HANDLING DEVICE FOR HANDLING A PLURALITY OF WIRES, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING ROTARY FEED DRUM MEANS HAVING SLOTS FORMED THEREON FOR CARRYING INDIVIDUAL WIRES TO A TERMINAL ATTACHING DEVICE, WIRE SEGREGATING MEANS URGED INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FEED DRUM MEANS, SWITCH MEANS FOR STOPPING THE ROTATION OF SAID DRUM MEANS, ARM MEANS URGED INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID DRUM MEANS AND OPERABLY CONNECTED TO SAID SWITCH MEANS AND LINKAGE MEANS LINKING SAID SEGREGATING MEANS TO SAID ARM MEANS WHEREBY SAID SWITCH MEANS IS ACTIVATED TO STOP ROTATION OF SAID DRUM MEANS WHEN SAID ARM MEANS IS FORCED OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID DRUM MEANS BY A WIRE IMPROPERLY POSITIONED IN SAID DRUM MEANS OR WHEN SAID SEGREGATING MEANS IS FORCED OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID DRUM MEANS. 